David Sedaris "Go Carolina"

         In his essay, "Go Carolina" (2000), David Sedaris asserts that the way in which society attempts to mold children to fit its standards is shameful. Sedaris makes this assertion through the use of a humorous anecdote from his own childhood, describing the ways in which his speech therapy connected to other aspects of his life, specifically his homosexuality. His purpose is to make his readers aware of, and perhaps even angry at, the pressures of society and the negative and trying effects they can have on children. By writing about a serious topic but maintaining a humorous tone, Sedaris successfully sets up his argument to be both entertaining and educational, allowing his audience to connect both with him and his story.

         Questions:
         1. This story appears to show that schools, or at least this school in particular, find it beneficial to continuously provide students who need it with speech therapy. There are potentially good and bad consequences of such a policy. It could be a very positive experience for those students, providing them with people who can help them overcome their obstacles. However, as shown in this story, it can be a very negative experience, making students feel poorly about themselves for needing it in the first place and making them frustrated when they can't get it right. Another thing this story reveals is the attitudes that the therapists themselves and the teachers can have toward such students. According to Sedaris, his teacher would spare him no embarrassment, either intentionally or unintentionally, by announcing to the class every time he had a session. His descriptions seem to imply that his therapist was uncaring and selfish. These details seem to me to be true, because I believe that schools try to provide students with assistance in every area, even if the student himself doesn't agree. I should hope, however, that most schools wouldn't employ a therapist with so little experience, especially if they get negative feedback from the students, and that they would take more steps to ensure the teachers are more understanding of the situation.

         2. Throughout the story Sedaris uses rueful humor- humor that also employs a touch of reality, describing situations that may have been funny, but perhaps shouldn't have happened. For example, Sedaris writes that his therapist would have wanted to hang a sign on the door that read "'Speech Therapy Lab', though a more appropriate marker would have read 'Future Homosexuals of America.'" Though this is supposed to be funny, it's also supposed to be serious, displaying Sedaris's belief that speech therapy was really just a way to put homosexual boys into a group that would help them become "normal." These types of quips are used throughout the story and help Sedaris to better get his point across.

         3. Again, Sedaris's tone is one of rueful humor, created by many lines in the story. A few examples include:

• "Here was a person for whom the word pen had two syllables. Her people undoubtedly drank from clay jugs and hollered for Paw when the vittles were ready - so who was she to advise me on anything?"
• "On the days I was absent, I imagined she addressed the room, saying, 'David's not here today but if he were, he'd have a speech therapy session at two-thirty.'"
• "Had her name had no s's, she probably would have bypassed a career in therapy and devoted herself to yanking out healthy molars or performing unwanted clitoridectomies on the schools of Africa. Such was her personality."
• "Whereas those around me might grow up to be lawyers or movie stars, my only option was to take a vow of silence and become a monk."

These are all examples of the way in which Sedaris creates a humorous tone, though with a serious message. In each case he describes the situation in a funny way, mostly through exaggeration, but the underlying message is more grave. He shows the way in which his speech therapy sessions negatively affected him and made him feel badly about himself. By using this type of tone, Sedaris creates a connection between himself and his readers, making his audience feel as though they are on the same side, fighting against a common enemy.